Since You Started High School
by lovepopmonster
Summary: Yuzu's worried sick about Ichigo. Ichigo becomes aware for the first time.


**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Bleach or its characters. **

**A/N: so this is my very first fanfiction! :P go easy on me, hopefully my writing skills will improve?? **

**REVIEW?**

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Autumn breeze. A small girl stands on a small balcony in a nightgown and fuzzy slippers. A cold, fragile tear slides down her cheek slowly. Thoughts of her beloved brother, who still is not home yet, run through her mind like a movie reel. She can't stop thinking about him, or what danger he could be in at this moment.

"Ichigo! Get your butt moving now!" a dark haired girl yells at the man fighting the monster, "you're leaving yourself open on your left side, you have to block!" she screeches again. Ichigo Kurosaki dodges a weak attack from the hollow and slashes its masked face. He and his companion watch as the beast's body disintegrates in front of them. "Finally," The small girl snorts, "that took 2 minutes longer than last time, what's up with you?" But the truth was, Ichigo didn't know. He had been very distracted the past few days, and he had no idea why. He shrugged and scowled. As they were walking slowly back to the house he started to ponder this. Every time he tried to think about it, his baby sister Yuzu popped up in his head. Then it hit him, he had been worried about Yuzu. She had been acting down the past couple of weeks. He wanted to know why, to help her, to make her feel happy again. After all, he and the tiny girl had had many special moments together. They had a special bond that Ichigo knew was somehow slipping away since he became a soul reaper, or yet, since he started high school. Yuzu had pointed it out once, saying "You've been so mean since you started high school!" She was of course being more straight-forward than usual. Little did he know the small girl was thinking the exact same thing at that moment.

"Oh, where could he be?!" the small girl thought frantically, "it's already 2 AM!" she was worried to death, he had never been _this _late before. Her mind wandered to some of the memories she wished she could have more of with Ichigo…

_"Ichi-nii! Push me?" the 4 year old Yuzu asked with big eyes. An 8 year old Ichigo smiled down at his tiny baby sister with a soft expression, before grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the swing set. Yuzu giggled and sat happily on the swing while Ichigo got behind her to push. He and Yuzu often had little days like this when Isshin and Karin would go have a father-daughter bonding day and Isshin would drop Ichigo and Yuzu off at the park a block or two away from the clinic. Isshin knew he was already very close with Yuzu, but he felt he needed some alone time with Karin sometimes. This gave Ichigo and Yuzu time to build a stronger bond than they had before. He pushed Yuzu gently at first and started to push harder as she directed him. "Ichi-nii watch this!" she yelled as she attempted to jump off the swing. As she landed on the wood chips she wailed when she felt her knee be ripped by the sharp daggers._

_"Yuzu!" Ichigo screeched as he ran over to her and kneeled down in front of her, "come here." He said softly, picking her up as she carefully wrapped her legs around his waist as he started carrying her back home to the clinic. Yuzu continued to cry as Ichigo tried to comfort her gingerly. When they got back Ichigo sat her in one of the kitchen chairs and ran to the bathroom, only to emerge seconds later with a box of band-aids, some anti-septic and a small towel. He knelt down and started to clean the blood away from the cut on her knee, after it was cleared he put the anti-septic on and then added the band-aid. Ichigo stood up and kissed Yuzu on her forehead before taking her hand and the both went to sit on the couch and watch some TV. _

Ichigo shook his head curtly to bring himself out of the memory of him and Yuzu. He knew she loved him, and he loved her. Really he did, he just didn't have as much time on his hands as before, but he felt guilty. Every night he'd come in to check on Yuzu in her sleep. Just to make sure she was alright. He remembered one night he came in to find her with wet cheeks and a picture of him, her and Karin hugged up to her chest. Ichigo instantly felt guilty and kissed her forehead before heading to his room for bed. He definitely hated the effect Yuzu had on him. He could be cold with anyone, except her. Karin had stopped him from babying her long ago. Plus, he always had a soft spot for his baby sister.

Yuzu quietly crept downstairs for some juice. Tears still softly dripping down her cheeks she poured some juice and sat calmly at the table. Just outside Rukia climbed up to Ichigo's bedroom window, while he came in through the back door. He took this precaution because he saw that the kitchen light was on, so he came in expecting a kick from his father for being out so late. Instead he found tiny Yuzu with tears on her face and a cup of juice in her hand. She was sitting at the table and she was silently sobbing away her fear and worry. "Yuzu.." he said softly and walked over to her. "Yuzu,why are you crying?"

"Ichi-nii!" she said in surprise and joy, "I was so worried about you! Where have you been anyway? You could've been hurt, being out so late like this!" she exclaimed, just as she jumped into his arms and let her wet tears penetrate his t-shirt. He didn't say a word. He just wrapped his arms around her shoulders and squeezed her close to him. He felt horrible for making her this way. He caused this because of his damn soul reaper duties. Damn those hollows. Damn Rukia for making him do all the work. Damn himself for leaving Yuzu to end up like this. He wished he could take this whole night back. The soul pager beeping and Rukia yelling at him to go get it. He didn't even tell Yuzu he was leaving. And it was before dinner too. She must have been worried sick. She probably didn't even eat dinner. He knew her well enough. He quietly picked her up and carried her upstairs to his room. Laying her down on his bed he crawled in beside her and she immediately attached herself to him. He inwardly smiled and encircled her in his strong arms. He would never hurt her like this again. Never again would he put her through anything to make her cry. Not if he could help it.

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**Okay so that probably REALLY sucked. im completely open to criticism so fire away! :D REVIEWWW!!**


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